1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a server device for net games (or network games) which is communicably connected to a plurality of terminal devices used by users via a network for managing a game played in a game space by the users using the terminal devices, a network game management method, and a net game management program used for this device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today as the Internet becomes popular and data transfer speeds increase, net games using server devices for net games (or network games), and terminal devices used by users, which are connected via the Internet, are commonly played. With such net games, various matching games, including sports and physical combat, are played.
In the case of the above mentioned matching games, an unspecified number of general users can participate in a game since the Internet is used. When unknown users match in this way, the capability of an opponent in a game is unknown, so unexpectedness is added to the progress of a game, and some excitement can be added to a game compared with normal games which use a standalone game machine, where a game is played with the game machine as the opponent.
In such a board game as Go and Chess, a game played by users to be the players is watched by other users so that not only the players but also the other spectators can enjoy the net game.
However, by merely watching a game played by the users to be players as mentioned above, users to be the spectators cannot communicate with one another, and the spectators cannot sufficiently receive the excitement of the games watched. In other words, in a net game, a plurality of users can watch the game of other users and enjoy the game without locational restriction, but the relationship among spectators remains as simply watching the same game. So even though there are a plurality of spectators, the spectators cannot interchange with one another by exchanging opinions about the game, which is the common subject of interest. Therefore, the excitement of watching a game based on the interchange of spectators cannot be given to the spectators, and the excitement of watching net games cannot be improved.